


Ten Dollars on Peter

by Yung_Mofftiss (OnWednesdaysWeStudyinPink)



Series: Death Bingo [1]
Category: Fringe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-01
Updated: 2009-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:39:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnWednesdaysWeStudyinPink/pseuds/Yung_Mofftiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Astrid starts a betting game in the middle of a deadly quarantine. Prompt: Radiation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Dollars on Peter

"Praise Neptune it wasn't my fault," Walter said for what had to be the fiftieth time.

"I probably would have killed you myself if that had been the case," Astrid said weakly as she turned up the morphine on her IV.

"Seconded," Olivia rasped from her hospital bed.

Peter licked at his dry lips. "Thirded."

Stuck in a small quarantine in one of Boston’s hospital, the four members of the Fringe science team were bedridden due to radiation poisoning, their fate certain. Of course, Broyles had already captured the fanatic who had put the enriched uranium in their lab, but it was really too late for them, dying painfully and slowly. The quarantine was maybe as big at the hotel’s bedroom, the three hospital beds on one wall, one on the other. Astrid was the odd man out, though she had the pleasure of being closest to the bathroom, which was becoming more and more torturous to get to.

Walter, who had a Polaroid in his hands, lamented loudly. "Oh, Gene. I'm sorry I couldn't have protected you. I knew I should have made that lead blanket for you."

"I was going to get a raise, too," Astrid said sadly, then looking at Peter out of the corner of her eyes, announced, "Ten dollars says Peter dies first."

"What? Why me?" he sputtered.

"Statistically, pessimistic people die quicker. You're probably the most pessimistic of us all," Astrid said matter-of-factly.

"That's true," agreed Olivia, who was to his left. "I'm in."

"What? You can't bet on me dying!"

"I think I just did,” she said, a teasing smile on her pale face.

"Olivia will die first," Walter declared.

The blonde’s eyes went wide. "Why me? Why not you?"

"Just feel like it," the older man shrugged.

"Okay so that's two for Peter, one for Olivia... who are you putting your money on, Peter?" Astrid grinned at him.

"Walter," he said without hesitation.

"Me?!" the older man cried.

Peter jab one of his fingers in his father’s direction. "Have you seen the crap you eat? I'm surprised you're not dead already."

"How much are you betting on that?" Astrid asked cheerfully.

"Twenty-five."

"That's not very nice, Peter," Walter whined.

"I'm going to spend my winnings on Silly String to cover your corpses," Peter snapped, still offended that the two women had bet on him.

Walter clapped his hands happily. "I'm going to buy extra pudding!"

Astrid bit her lower lip, looking thoughtful. "I'm going to have the gift store downstairs put it into ones so I can die surrounded by money. Even if it is just one dollar bills."

"What are you going to spend yours on, Olivia?" Peter asked and when there was no response he looked over at her sallow face. "Olivia?"

"Hah, I knew she'd kick it first." Walter balked slightly as a nurse in a HAZMAT suit came in to respond to the code blue. "Though I am sorry she's gone."

As the three remaining players watched the nurse draw the bed sheet over Olivia’s head, Walter declared, "I think Astrid's next."

"Yes, five dollars on that," Peter concurred.

She began coughing loudly. "My death is worth more than five dollars, you assholes."

Walter rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fine, seven dollar."

The nurse announced quite abruptly, "I'm sorry, she's gone."

“Yeah, we know,” Peter said, waving her off as she left to go get help for removing Olivia’s body.

Astrid started choking on what appeared to be blood and Walter managed to crawl out of bed, taking his banana bag of morphine with him.

"I'll see you in Valhalla, Asparagus Farnsworth," he said as he leaned over her.

She coughed a bit before saying, "It's Astrid, damnit."

"I know. I just liked hearing you say your name."

She gave a rasp of laughter. "I love you, Walter.”

“I love you, too, my dear,” he murmured, holding her hand until her eyes shut. He then turned to Peter somberly. “Well, it’s just you and me, my boy.”

“One hundred dollars says you’re next,” Peter offered.

The older man smiled at the challenge. “You’re on.”

Weakened from the radiation poison, Walter collapsed on the floor and Peter winced as he heard his father’s head smack against the hard tile. Unable to get out of bed himself, he quickly began pressing the call button on his hospital bed, trying to page a nurse.

“I think I’m going to win, Walter,” he joked and he could hear Walter give an angry grunt.

“Damnit,” Walter whispered from the floor, quite disappointed that he was going to lose the bet.

“I  _win_ ,” Peter rasped triumphantly as a crew of HAZMAT suit nurses came running in.


End file.
